NYS Music 20​15

Category: Genres

  • Robert Trujillo Premiers “JACO” for RSD Black Friday 2015 in Syracuse

    Many people associate the madness that is Black Friday with people waiting in extremely long lines, sometimes even camping out, to get the hottest items of the year at the best bargain prices. Typically the main events happen at malls and big box stores and end up being the centerpiece of the 5 o’clock news. I, however, associate Black Friday with an event that is a quintessential experience for devotees of vinyl record collecting: Record Store Day.

    Chris Besaw Robert Trujillo 14

    Syracuse is fortunate enough to be the home of Soundgarden, an amazing independent record store. Soundgarden is one of the hosts of Black Friday Record Store Day, a day that boasts rare and unique music releases primarily on vinyl, but other formats are included in the celebration as well. One of the special releases this year was a documentary film that highlights the life and death of Jazz musician Jaco Pastorius. The film was directed by Paul Merchand and Stephen Kikak and was co-produced by Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo and John Battsek of Passion Pictures.

    Robert Trujillo has been on the road promoting the release of the film and made a stop at Soundgarden on Black Friday Record Store Day. Trujillo signed copies of the film, took photos and chatted with a long line of fans. Anyone who purchased a copy of the film at Soundgarden received a wristband for the meet and greet. The purchase also included tickets to a premier screening of JACO and a question and answer session with Robert Trujillo at the Palace Theater that evening.

    The event at the Palace Theater was packed with fans. It kicked off with a very heartwarming introduction by Frank Malfitano Executive Director of Syracuse’s Jazz fest of over 30 years. Michael Massurin Executive Director of Syracuse International Film festival and Soundgarden owner Bryan Burkert were also in attendance. Robert Trujillo provided a brief history of how the idea for the documentary was conceived, including the process and some of the highs and lows during production.

    The film explores the life of Jaco Pastorious from his childhood through his rise to fame as the world’s greatest bass player to his tragic and early death in 1987. The film also explores the sad reality for many people who suffer from mental health issues. During the time that Jaco was alive the reality was that the issues were mainly ignored and written off and there was no effective treatment in place for mental health disorders.
    After the film ended, Robert spent some time with fans answering questions about Jaco, his journey making the film, what happened to his famous “bass of doom” and one exuberant fan managed to sneak in the question many Syracuse fans have been wondering “when is Metallica, coming back to Syracuse?” to which Robert smiled and stated, “Well, let us finish working on the new record and I will see if I can get all of us here.”
    It was great to see so many musicians and music fans of all genres come out to this event. It truly shows how supportive the Syracuse music scene is of all music types! I hope to see more events like this take place here in the near future.

     [FinalTilesGallery id=’548′]

  • Hearing Aide: Ellie Goulding ‘Delirium’

    EllieNovember was indubitably a huge month in pop music. A number of artists like Justin Bieber, Adele, and One Direction each released new albums that are all getting a great deal of hype in the music world. In addition, Ellie Goulding’s Delirium was released on a New Music Friday with a whopping 23 tracks on the deluxe version. The album features the 2015 top hit “Love Me Like You Do,” which was featured the on the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack back in February. However, this album is filled with a lot more than just the big movie hit.

    Delirium is one of those albums you don’t have to listen to in order; however, it’s best to listen to the wistful, wordless introduction track and its progression into “Aftertaste” before listening on. The two songs are nicely juxtaposed, contrasting a ballad with a more upbeat tune, and this foreshadows the variety of styles throughout the album.

    In an article on Music Times, it says, “Ellie… has stated that she is trying to step away from indie and EDM to become a bona fide pop star.” This is made clear as Ellie’s last album, Halcyon Days, released in 2013, could be classified as indie pop/synthpop. New album Delirium falls under the category of plain old pop. Without being cliché, this album is definitely pop first and foremost because all the tracks are incredibly catchy. You’ll be whistling the choruses to “On My Mind” and “Around U” after each play. It also seems like each track is about the great or the no-so-great parts of a romantic relationship, which is standard for the genre. In addition, the album cover features the top half of her body in a somewhat provocative pose, which is in congruence with the often-sexualized portrayal of pop artists.

    So how has her sound changed? Overall, her vocals haven’t changed much with her standard doubled lead vocals and her own voice harmonizing the backing vocals. The instrumentation is also quite similar to her other albums. It’s important to note that Ellie was a contributing writer on each of the tracks, and thus had a great deal of creative control. It seems like she wasn’t pushing for an entirely new sound, but rather a change in how the album was to be marketed. She desires to be known as a pop artist in the music scene, perhaps on a quest for more recognition.

    Each song on the album was artistically produced by her producers with a number of electronic instruments. There isn’t really one song one would identify as a “banger,” but they’re each high-quality and deserving of a listen or two. The single releases of “On My Mind,” “Something in the Way You Move,” “Lost and Found,” and “Army” were decent picks in incentivizing listeners to check the album out. Overall, this album would be great to play as ambient music at a small party or to sing along to in the car.

    Key Tracks: Don’t Need Nobody, Codes, Army

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ_sDIQe6gk

  • Unknown Blues Band Not so Unknown

    Nectar’s, the mecca of Vermont’s music scene celebrated it’s 40th birthday with a re-union of the Unknown Blues Band which also marked the tenth anniversary of the passing of bandleader Big Joe Burrell. This famed band reunited with it’s crack Kilimanjaro brilliant core of Paul Asbell on guitar, Chas Eller on organ, Tony Markellis on bass, Lucas Adler on drums with Terry Younk and Dave Grippo on saxophone. They were joined vocally by soul man Dave Keller and the stellar Dwight Ritcher and Nicole Nelson as well as honored harmonica hosts Charlie Frazier and Bob Stannard. It was a night of great music recalling the past songs of Big Joe Burrell with shakes and solos to a crowd that swung to the groove and called for more.

    unknown blues bandBig Joe and the Unknown Blues Band first performed at the Newport Jazz Festival and then toured the world in the 1990’s as well as backing up the legendary bluesman Paul Butterfield. Musical celebrities passing through Burlington would frequently join the band such as B.B. King and Betty Carter.

    An association formed with Phish guitarist’s Trey Anastasio, who said he moved to Burlington largely because of the Unknown Blues Band and the quality of live music they put out. Paul Asbell, the UBB guitarist’s became Trey’s guitar teacher, and later on bassist Tony Markellis began playing with Trey in Trey Anastasio Band and keyboardist Chas Eller partnered with Trey at his personal recording studio, The Barn.

    After this great show, people are hoping that the UBB will be back on the scene and bringing the blues back to Burlington and beyond.

  • Scott Weiland Dead at 48

    The rock world is sad, shocked, heartbroken, but not entirely surprised by the news that Scott Weiland, former singer of Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver and most recently frontman for Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts, was found dead on the band’s tour bus in Minnesota.

    According to the announcement on his Facebook page, Weiland died in his sleep :

    Scott Weiland, best known as the lead singer for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, passed away in his sleep while…

    Posted by Scott Weiland on Thursday, December 3, 2015

    Jane’s Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Dave Navarro first tweeted the news around midnight eastern time. Navarro has since deleted  his tweet.

    TMZ and radio station KNAC reported that the band was scheduled to play a 9 p.m. gig at the Medina Ballroom in Medina, Minnesota tonight but was canceled when Weiland was found unresponsive on the band’s tour bus by his manager.

    scott weiland dead
    Wildabouts guitarist Jeremy Brown died earlier this year at the age of 34

    Smoky Mountain News reporter Garret K. Woodward interviewed Weiland two weeks ago in one of the singer’s final interviews. He ominously opened his article:

    Catch him if you can. For the better part of the last 25 years, Scott Weiland has been a moving target within the music industry. Lightning struck twice for the singer, as a front man for both Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, two of the most successful rock acts in the modern era. And yet, with success, comes a price.

    Apparently, the ultimate price came tonight. Cause of death has not been confirmed, but Weiland has had a long history of substance abuse problems.

    Weiland, whose deep vocals were often compared to those of Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, rose to fame as the lead vocalist for the ’90s grunge band Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland formed the band with brothers Robert and Dean DeLeo. STP saw much success with Weiland at the helm, including radio hits like “Interstate Love Song,” “Big Empty” and “Vasoline.” STP’s debut album, Core, rose to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart and in 1994, their album Purple, reached No. 1.

    After a tumultuous departure from Stone Temple Pilots, he went on to front the supergroup Velvet Revolver, which included former Guns N’ Roses members Slash and Duff McKagan and former Cult and GnR drummer Matt Sorum. Weiland released two albums with the band.

    Weiland had long suffered from substance abuse issues. In 1995 Weiland was sentenced to probation after being arrested for buying crack cocaine. Weiland was also arrested in 2003 and 2007 for D.U.I. Weiland was also known to use heroin as well and checked into a rehabilitation center, but reports say that Weiland left the program early.

    The singer was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was open about it in interviews, to the extent that it made him a better songwriter. He told Smoky Mountain News in an interview that ran on Nov. 18:

    I’m bi-polar and I have to take medication for that. Sometimes I fall into stark places, and I think I write better music when I’m in those places. And sometimes I write better music when I’m on a high, not a narcotic high, but an actual high, a bi-polar high.

    Weiland is survived by his wife, photographer Jamie Wachtel, whom he married in 2013, and two children: Noah, age 15, and Lucy, age 13. Both children were born to his second wife, model Mary Forsberg, whom he married in 2000. He was first married to Janina Castaneda in 1994. Their marriage ended in divorce in 2000.

  • Conversation With Mike Campese, Albany Guitar Virtuoso Performing at the Madison Theater

    Albany area-based guitarist Mike Campese has an incredible resume built off of a talent he has perfected from an early age. Guitar was his academic pursuit, one that has served him well and opened doors both in opportunity and experience. Of the several big acts he has opened for or worked with, the most familiar of the Christmas season is Trans Siberian Orchestra whom he recorded and toured with for a short time.

    This Saturday, Dec. 5, Campese is performing at The Madison Theater in Albany at 8:30 pm. With a lot to talk about, Campese chatted with NYSMusic about some of his influences and experiences and about what’s in store for this Saturday’s show.

    Steve Malinski: How did you get started on the professional musician track?

    Mike Campese: My brother played acoustic guitar and my dad had been a violinist but went into engineering. My early influences were Black Sabbath and the guitar-driven bands. It went from there. I took lessons as a kid and would hang out at the music store at the mall, see all the guitars hanging up. I’d always ask the guy what the price is and they’d be so expensive. He didn’t think I’d buy it but my mom came up to the mall and helped me out. My sister and her boyfriend had gotten me a bass but I didn’t want to play bass so I traded it in the next day. But yeah, I was really into Black Sabbath and they influenced me as a kid. I moved to Los Angeles for the Guitar Institute (GIT) at the Musicians Institute (MI). It was a great experience, great school. I was exposed to all kinds of music. My teacher was a jazz guitar player. Before I went there I had already known a lot of theory but it opened a lot of doors musically for me.

    SM: You mention Black Sabbath as an influence, so I see why you went for that guitar driven style. But you really have a playing style along the lines of Eric Johnson, Steve Vai, Buckethead, and so on. How’d you ultimately settle into that groove?

    MC: As you advance as a player… even though I love Black Sabbath, their stuff was easy. Catchy, but easy. I got more into – my brother was into Al Di Meola. I would listen to his stuff, and brought some of that to my teacher. Then Yngwie [Malmsteen] came around too. So they’re the ones who started it for me.  I started listening to more of the classical stuff. My dad and I were driving in the car to school one day and I said “Why don’t you put on the rock station?” He replied with “Oh, like classical stuff?” I told him I didn’t want to listen to classical stuff but he said I should. So I started listening to Mozart, Beethoven, Vivaldi. The shred stuff – Paul Gilbert was teaching at GIT and I was in his classes. Eric Johnson – I first heard him play at MI. I remember hearing “Cliffs of Dover” and our teacher had shown us how to play the riffs. I love Steve Vai’s Passion and Warfare.

    I’m glad I grew up in the time that I did because nowadays there are so many different genres to sort through. But yeah, I’ve always been a fast guitar player after my first year of playing. And now I’m better at composing and am more well-rounded than I was as a teenager. It does take a lot of maintenance playing every day – really have to keep up with it.

    SM: Can you talk about your experience working with Trans Siberian Orchestra?

    MC: I was part of the band in 2004/2005, around the time when Lost Christmas Eve was out. I got a call from them and auditioned. Paul O’Neill – I was down in the city and auditioned and they were really happy when I played. About a week later I got a call from their manager and he said they’d like to hire me for the band. It was really cool. I wasn’t in the band for a really long time, just a couple of years, and I hope to get back to them again sometime. It was a great experience traveling and playing the music, covering both the left and right guitar parts. It was really amazing experience, incredible band. Just being picked for that, I was amazed. It was a great accomplishment – a band like that, multi-platinum band. I still talk to them. We’re on good terms and I see the guys in the band all the time. A lot of guys in the band have their own groups so I support their bands. I play a trade show in California every year and always run into them there. So at some point – you never know with these bands – there are so many musicians they work with. There’s a full east coast and west coast touring band. So we’ll see.

    After that I put out a Christmas album of my own, The Meaning of Christmas. It’s similar to Trans Siberian Orchestra but its more guitar driven and there’s some acoustic and vocal work on it. So it was right after and I thought that maybe I should do my own Christmas stuff. So I’ve been promoting that recently since it’s Christmas season and it’s really the only chance I get the chance to do that. I like Christmas music but did change it up and wrote new sections of the pieces and did a few of my own original Christmas tunes. So it wasn’t like the same traditional tune but a re-written version to basically get it out of my system.

    SM: Aside from Trans Siberian Orchestra, you’ve gotten to play with or open for some pretty big names?

    MC: Yeah, a bunch. Joe Bonamassa. B-52’s were my first opening act. Spin Doctors –

    SM: Cruefest?

    MC: Yeah! My own band, my original band played. It was Mötley Crüe, Godsmack, Drowning Pool… That was an awesome show, a great experience playing at SPAC. The cool thing is that my stuff is different that all those guys. My stuff was exposed to people who don’t normally dig into that type of sound.

    I try to play music for the crowds. I have acoustic material too, so I mix it up at my shows. And this Saturday I’m going to be doing a little acoustic segment in the middle of the show. It’s going to be mostly an electric show though, with that in the middle. We’ll be playing a variety of stuff, things off the Christmas album and the others as well. So I’m looking forward to that. At the Madison Theater, being a movie theater, they’ve got a screen behind us. I was there recently and asked the sound guy and he said we could use the screen if we want. Se we’ve got some videos and backdrops that we’ll have behind us. I’m looking forward to it because people are coming to see us whereas at a bar people are just hanging out and we’d be more of just a background sound.

  • Catskill Chill to Move to Lake George

    Catskill Chill may soon become “Adirondack Chill” with plans to move the festival to Lake George.

    The Post-Star of Glens Falls reported today that Chill promoter Dave Marzollo met with the Warren County committee that allocates money raised through the county’s bed tax and told them, “We really think this is the perfect home for our festival.”

    catskill chill lake georgeThe festival is set to be held Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 at Charles Wood Park in Lake George, and will receive $15,000 for marketing from Warren County via the county’s occupancy tax. If it moves to Lake George, Marzollo told county officials that “Catskill” will be removed from the festival’s name.

    Marzollo told the county that he sold 5,000 tickets to this year’s Chill, the sixth annual edition, which was held at Camp Minglewood in Hancock. Marzollo didn’t want the festival to leave Camp Minglewood, but he announced last year that he had to move it for reasons beyond his control.

    This year’s Chill was headlined by moe. and included bands like Lotus, Zappa Plays Zappa, Lettuce, Twiddle and The Motet, among many others.

    https://youtu.be/jOMlLBDgUHE

  • Anthrax’s Scott Ian Announces Spoken Word In Kingston December 30

    As the long awaited 11th album from Anthrax For All Kings is set for a February 26, 2016 release via Megaforce Records, fans in the Hudson Valley area can get excited for a one-off spoken word appearance from guitarist Scott Ian, who did a successful spoken word tour last year.

    Scheduled for Dec. 30 at BSP in Kingston, Ian will share tour stories, crazy encounters and other highlights over his three decade-plus career.

    Ian wrote when announcing the show on his website:

    It’s my birthday party! Come hear some crazy stories and killer music from me and the Paul Green Rock Academy rippers. It’s your New Year’s Eve warmup!
    In related news, Anthrax recently announced they will be touring with Lamb Of God.  Tour dates are below:
    Jan. 15 – Pittsburgh, PA@ Stage AE (Indoor)
    Jan. 16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
    Jan. 17 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
    Jan. 19 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
    Jan. 22 – Norfolk, VA @ Constant Convocation Center
    Jan. 23 – New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
    Jan. 24 – Wallingford, CT @ Toyota Presents Oakdale
    Jan. 28 – Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
    Jan. 29 – Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
    Jan. 30 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
    Jan. 31 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Orbit Room
    Feb. 02 – Kansas City, MO @ Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland
    Feb. 04 – Houston, TX @ Revention Music Center
    Feb. 05 – Dallas, TX @ Bomb Factory
    Feb. 06 – Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete Street Pavilion –
    Feb. 08 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at The Moody Theater
    Feb. 09 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
    Feb. 11 – Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
    Feb. 12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
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  • Leftover Salmon Lays it Down at The Egg

    Twelve years after last appearing at The Egg, Leftover Salmon returned to Albany for a nearly two-hour set in the intimate Swyer Theater. Fans danced in the periphery, while others remained seated, tapping their feet to the rhythm and mouthing the words to familiar lyrics, yet rarely seen live in these parts. Going in with no expectations, this marked my first opportunity to see Leftover Salmon after 14  years of patient listening.

    Drummer Alwyn Robinson stood out immediately, not only because of his presence behind the kit in a bluegrass band, but especially because he did not overshadow his bandmates. He was not driving the songs nor was he reserved to the point of a feigned presence on stage. Robinson is the ideal bluegrass drummer.

    Giving a nod to recent corruption news from the nearby Capitol, Vince Herman introduced “Hey Woody Guthrie,” calling on the fabled folk legend to return as the good fight is still being fought. “Flight of the Durban,” led by Andy Thorn on banjo, was upbeat and a long journey through a composition that could double as a soundtrack for a travel video. “Troubled Times” and “High Country” were on the country side of things, while an upbeat version of Dylan’s “Simple Twist of Fate” was a refreshing take on a classic folk tune.

    Drew Emmitt showed masterful prowess on the mandolin and switched to electric guitar during an extended jam, following the same style of Robinson—not taking an overpowering Warren Haynes-esque solo, but augmenting the existing jam. Herman introduced “Two Highways,” a song he dedicated to his wife to-be (as of next week) in Mexico during Strings n Sol festival prior to band intros, capping off the set with a lively cover of T. Rex’s “Bang a Gong (Get it On).” The band returned to the stage with a standing ovation from the audience and performed “Gold Hill Line” for an encore, prior to signing autographs in the lobby for the ardent fans.

    Leftover Salmon performs tonight at Higher Ground in Burlington, VT, Brighton Music Hall in Boston, MA, on Dec. 4 and The Wolf Den in Uncasville, CT, on Dec. 5.

  • So What?! Music Festival Lineup Announced

    The lineup for the So What?! Music Festival has been announced, and it includes Albany’s State Champs, New York City’s Bayside and Long Island’s Stray From The Path.

    so_what

    So What?! Music Festival (formerly South By So What?!), now in its ninth year, will take place Saturday and Sunday, March 19 and 20, at Quiktrip Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. The initial lineup for the 2016 festival was announced this week: New Found Glory and Underoath will headline the festival on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. State Champs and Bayside will play Saturday, while Stray From The Path will play Sunday. Other artists include Neck Deep, Real Friends, The Devil Wears Prada, Saosin and Beartooth.

    From the press release:

    Different from other music festivals, So What?! is a “festival made by fans for fans,” stated founder and promoter Mike Ziemer. Opening its doors in 2008, Ziemer and his company Third String Festivals had a vision to create an alternative music festival where fans could get away from the massively growing South by Southwest. The festival was designed for a more intimate ambiance for fans at a reasonable price. Located just a few hours shy of Austin, So What?! Music Festival delivers an array of musical acts including rock, metal, folk, dance, pop, pop-punk, and this year an all new acoustic stage (artists yet to be announced). Previous artists include Asking Alexandria, The Early November, Motion City Soundtrack, G-Eazy, Pierce The Veil, Cartel, Sleeping With Sirens, A Day To Remember, Taking Back Sunday, and more.

    Tickets for So What?! Music Festival are available now. Single-day passes can be purchased for $50. Two-day weekend passes are available for $75. VIP packages are also available, starting at $150.

    State Champs on Facebook
    State Champs on Twitter

    Bayside on Facebook
    Bayside on Twitter

    Stray From The Path on Facebook
    Stray From The Path on Twitter

  • Wednesdays in December at Funk n Waffles are NYS Music Nights

    It might get cold in Syracuse this December, but things are going to get hot at Funk n Waffles Downtown when NYS Music presents bands from around New York State, every Wednesday throughout December.

    Major Player with special guest The Nudes perform on December 9, while the folk-pop of Black Mountain Symphony brings guest Steve Scuteri on December 16. Just before Christmas, Albany’s Ampevene make their debut at Funk n Waffles, alongside Chris Eves. New Years Eve-Eve will be celebrated with the roots stylings of Grayak with Michelle Renee in support.

    Doors open at 7pm each night with music starting at 8pm. Enjoy a variety of bands that call New York State home every Wednesday night at Funk n Waffles (and some great food too!)